Kevin O’Connell Speaks

Kevin O’Connell spoke to the press on Wednesday and everyone wanted to know who his QB1 will be between Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell was anything but straight to the point. After making it evident that there is no actual depth chart as of right now, O’Connell stated, “Sam [Darnold] would be the guy I would look to.” 

Darnold being named QB1 going into training camp should not surprise anyone following the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. Going into the draft, it seemed all but guaranteed that the Vikings would select a quarterback. The possibilities ranged greatly at the time. On draft night, the pieces fell into place for Minnesota to select J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan with pick ten. Following the draft, nearly every report out of OTAs made one thing very clear – McCarthy will not be rushed into anything. 

Recent History

As with any rookie, McCarthy’s potential is unknown. Recent history has shown that having some patience with rookies can be massively beneficial. The Green Bay Packers have drafted non-immediate replacements very successfully. The Packers had Brett Favre and drafted Aaron Rodgers without forcing him to play immediately and went on to do nearly the same thing with Jordan Love. Being in the same division, the Vikings have watched this unfold firsthand.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs is another great example of not rushing the future face of the franchise into game action. Mahomes, like McCarthy, was pick 10 in the 2017 NFL Draft. Alex Smith was the starter although the Chiefs had high very hopes for Mahomes. Smith had a very successful season in 2017 keeping the questions about who should be QB1 at bay. Another playoff loss, though, for Smith and the Chiefs finally opened the door for Mahomes to take over and never look back. With some similarities, and plenty of differences, the Vikings seem more than content to let Darnold roll as QB1.  

What’s Next?

Darnold is on a one-year contract with much to prove. He has an excellent supporting cast around him and is in a great position to succeed. Is it possible for the Vikings to sign him again after this season? Of course. The expectation from many, though, is that Darnold is a one-and-done, so barring a miraculous season where the Vikings are given nearly no choice but to run it back, it should be McCarthy’s team by the fall of 2025. McCarthy is only 21 years old so he has plenty of time to learn and room to grow. The Vikings are making it clear that although McCarthy is their future, they are ready to roll with Sam Darnold as QB1 (for now).

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